Rural Schools of Kalamazoo County

The building that formerly housed Comstock Fractional School #1.

Photo by Margean Gladysz, May 2000.

Once there were six or eight one-room schools in every township. They are still fondly remembered by area residents, but all have disappeared under the pressure of expanding population, improved roads and transportation, and consolidation of school districts. In more populated areas, schools had more than one room. Some of the buildings still stand, in use as private homes, churches or shops.

Information about some of these schools is difficult to find. These pages are a preliminary effort to identify the rural schools that existed in Kalamazoo County and to create histories for them. Schools are arranged by township (linked below) or by alphabetical index.

Townships of Kalamazoo County

Additional information will be added to these pages as time and resources allow. If you have information to share, or photos that you would let us copy, please call Beth Timmerman at 269-553-7842, or send us an email.

Compiled by Catherine Larson, Local History Specialist, Kalamazoo Public Library, 1999. Last updated 3 January 2012.